Overload

So what does Moses talking to Jethro his father in law have anything to do with us? The conversation took place in Exodus 18. It started out by Moses sharing with Jethro what has been going on, but the back half of the lesson was Jethro telling Moses that something has got to give. Have you ever been so steeped in task oriented, heart driven, anxiety that you you just feel like you are getting old fast, and wearying down at a rate of unbalanced proportion? Then these words of riches spoken from Brad Thomas at Austin Ridge might give you a glimmer of hope.

My most favorite quote from the whole lesson was this: Essestials can not be compromised by additionals. Ok, now just digest that a minute. Most of us struggle with two main issues in life: 1) we want everyone to like us, and 2) we want people to respect us. But sometimes the two collide. We are continually bombarded by opportunities that we many times buy into that are not necessarily what God has planned but things that we take on because we get accolades from them, we are good at doing them and we are respected by what we do. We take hold of then and and they become what identifies us.

It was a simple statement but it hit me. If I am married, my husband is my essential. If I have children, then my children are essential, at least until they are adults...those are essentials that God has placed or allowed in my life. Now what am I adding to those known essestials that push them to the back burner? Your essential may not be caring for a spouse or children, it may be caring for your parents or as a teacher your students, or as a missionary caring for those who God has placed in your path, or those who are going through saddened trials in your Sunday school class. Caring and serving others is just one of God's many given gifts. When we allow our gifts, whatever they may be, caring, teaching, exhorting, hospitality etc., to concentrate on the doing aspect instead of the "one who we are doing it for" aspect, we lose sight of being in tandem with God. It becomes a self selected venture and the result is that we become weary and overtaxed mentally and instead of maintaining strength to carry on with God given, God driven essestials. We become impeded by the additions. Ask the question, am I doing what I want to do or am I doing what God wants me to do? Too many times we are doing things for our own gains without regard to God's glory.

Exodus 18 : 17-18 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

Wearing out and being harried in not part of God's plan for our lives. It becomes the tail wagging the dog. We lose the fun, we forfeit the joy, we compromise life's offerings and God;s blessings for weighted baggage. What happens when we do too much? For one, it clouds distinction...we lose track of our essentials, and things get confuse. And secondly, we tend to look at circumstances and are pulled to do what others are pulling us to do rather than seeking God's will. There are always jobs to do, but what we fall short in remembering is that God has not delegated all those jobs before us to us personally. He has many contenders...and just because we are good at what we do, we are not always his selected messengers. We too many times self appoint ourselves. Good, better and best are always vying for position, but if we don't try to intentionally make judgments based what God wants, we will fins ourselves so stretched that we are slim pickings for doing anything of substantial merit for God's glory. Even if we "can" do something, and are good at it, that is not a confirmation that it is God's right thing to do at that time or for that person!

The following are points that were made in this lesson:
1) Doing too much clouds our distinction....what are the essential roles that God has given us...what are the roles that we have chosen ourselves
are our choices overwhelming us to the point of exhaustion and weariness and overwhelmed anxiety..is that how God wants us to live? Good vs Best!
2) We have to learn to separate the essential from the additional - essestials can not be compromised for additional - it is when we compromise that we get out of step. Delegation is a hard step for some to make because we are good at what we do and someone else might not have the savvy to get it done the "right" way...Get over yourself. Even if someone is not so adequate, it is God who is running the show. It is a pride thing, even in the throws of self proclaimed humility, it still is called pride....it is the control deal. This hit me hard, because it is true that many things I do, I do them out of pride and recognition from others instead of quiet recognition from God.
3) None of us are exempt from natural law - burn out - exhaustion, weariness, depression and these things will come upon those of us who try to do all the add ons and are not careful to keep the essentials in their proper place - If concentration is on additionals then the relationship of the essentials will begin to suffer.
4) Make sure your identity is not based on what you do FOR Jesus, but who you are IN Jesus - don't cut moral corners to maintain your placement in the world's offerings.
5) Learn to say NO...

Jethro gave Moses wise counsel....delegate, you can not continue to do all that you are doing alone. That is not what God has intended. Listen to my council, Jethro said, and then go to God in prayer and he will either confirm it or reject it.

Many of us to have a tendency to take on too many additionals, whether it is people, projects or personal concerns, and we forget to leave room for God to guide us according to his plans. We are weathered much more quickly and become older faster when we refuse to refuel and refresh our priorities with God's plans vs our own.

Are you overwhelmed with circumstances that are about you? Are you filled with despair over matters that you have no control over? Are you taking on additionals instead of concentrating on essentials? Are you focused on what you can do instead of what God can do? Are you settling for good or striving for God's best? Is your identity tucked away in what you do or who you are in Jesus? All good questions....and we are the only ones who can answer them honestly for ourselves. Is in the answers that we find reality in

God is bigger than any of our circumstances. He is wiser than any of our thoughts. He is authority over those situations where we think we are the only ones who can come to someone elses rescue. Thank God that none of us are not his only option to proceed with his heavenly plan, for when we bow out others are called, and that is not a bad thing...it is God being God and doing his God thing, for his glory.

Nothing is wasted in God's economy, when we bow out of a situation and render a God given essential as a priority, it gives an opportunity for others to be involved in a blessings they may have missed. Stay seeped in the will of God, and wait for the call of God, and not be dependent on the world's call. Christ will guide us according to the plans he has made and will use us according to purposes. Life is to be fun ...and filled with joy and when that has disappeared, then we have to reevaluate and look around and seek the joy that God has for us in the peace of his presence.

Dear Lord, Help us to recognize your essentials and not comptomise them with our add ons. Amen


Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!